


Read between the lies

by saienti



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, Seyoon is an idol, i might not tag more, i might tag more, lowkey character study, stay tuned to see, the idol war between Hoseok and Seyoon that nobody asked for but still got, they are not the ones fighting ok the labels are the bad guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:28:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27489586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saienti/pseuds/saienti
Summary: Living as an idol isn't easy by any means. Brutal workouts, strict diets and sleepless nights. Seyoon is used to it by now, he isn't going to complain. He knew what he signed up for.What he didn't sign up for, however, is to live a lie.And nothing can prepare him for what faking a relationship will bring.
Relationships: Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow
Comments: 15
Kudos: 42





	1. The first lie

**Author's Note:**

> yaaaay another WowKwan!!! :D  
> ive been pondering on this idea for a long time, and finally got around to write it.  
> fake relationship AUs from the celeb pov is so rare so i wanted to bring one to the table, here we go!  
> i hope u enjoy this fic!

☆☆☆☆☆

“Which wine do you want for tonight, love?” Sooyoung’s airy voice chimes through the phone speaker. Seyoon’s head snaps up towards his cell phone, having totally forgotten he is on the phone with his girlfriend. “Honey?”  
He scrambles towards where it’s put on the armrest of his couch on the other side of the room, leaving his paintbrushes exactly how you shouldn’t leave them, sticky with paint.  
“Yes! Anything will do. Something light, please.”  
“Were you painting again?” Sooyoung sighs, sounding a tiny bit annoyed. “You have to be ready to be picked up in thirty minutes, dear. I’m not going on a date with some hobo. Please try to dress nicely.”  
_Click_ .  
Seyoon’s shoulders sag. He just got hit with some inspiration that isn’t music related, and his painting is only halfway done.  
Groaning in frustration, he picks up the brushes and takes them to the sink. The newly applied, expensive colors swirl down the drain in the most chaotic, beautiful rainbow and Seyoon feels like yelling. Such a waste, all because he has been airheaded enough to completely forget they were having date night at Sooyoung’s apartment tonight.  
After jumping into a cold shower, he begins pulling out some clothes that his girlfriend will approve of. As he stands in front of the mirror, his mind drifts away to a place he rarely lets himself venture.  
Their relationship has been feeling strained lately, and he can’t help but wonder why that is. She is supposed to be the love of his life. Highschool sweethearts, the perfect romance. A dream couple. And he does love her. It’s just, something is off.  
He is interrupted by his phone ringing, the sound bouncing on the walls of the spacious apartment.  
“Yes, Hyolyn-noona?” he mutters, deciding on a marine blue dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. Can’t go wrong with that, right?  
“What are you up to?” his manager asks, and it almost sounds accusatory.  
“Nothing. I was painting a bit.”  
“You shouldn’t be painting, Seyoon-ah. You need to focus on the upcoming schedules. Practice your rap to flow better when you dance and stay active on socia-”  
“Don’t worry, noona. I’ve already been practising for hours today, at the studio.” he lies, praying that she won’t ask around and find out he hasn’t been at the label all day. Worst case scenario he can probably bribe Donghun to vouch for him in exchange for his dignity.  
“Great. Are you doing something special tonight?” Hyolyn inquires. “Because you should really go to that café downtown, you know the one I showed you a couple of days ago? It will be great to get some buzz and public appearances.”  
Seyoon leans away from the phone mic and sighs, pinching his nose bridge. He really doesn’t have time for this, Sooyoung will be furious if he cancels on her yet again. And taking a detour seems like a less horrible, but still unnecessarily complicated, solution.  
“Seyoon-ah?” Hyolyn’s voice pulls him back to reality. Her voice is stern and Seyoon gives up, what difference will _one_ more canceled date make? “Did you not hear me?”  
“What? No, I heard you, noona. I will get down there tonight. Shall we meet up beforehand?”  
“Yeah, I can be ready in an hour. I’m sending over some stylists. See you soon!” she chirps and hangs up. Seyoon’s stomach turns. He has a bad feeling about this.

☆

Sitting in a café, sipping on an iced americano and writing his autographs on several different surfaces is not how he thought this evening would turn out. He feels like he is looking at himself from the outside, not in tune with his body and how it laughs or talks to his fans.  
His mind is somewhere else, dwelling on the reaction his girlfriend had given him.

_“You can’t make it? Ah, okay. Too bad. We’ll reschedule, love. Don’t worry about it.”  
_ _“You’re not… angry?”  
_ _“Angry? Why would I be? Your career is important to you, I know that.”  
_ _“But all the other times-”  
_ _“I guess I was in a bad mood those times. Seriously, don’t worry. I’ll see you another time.”_

It left a sour taste in his mouth, and he has never been the jealous type but that is the only reasonable explanation for her strange behavior. He has been going over the conversation several times and is sure she sounded distracted, as if the lover was already there. As if she knew Seyoon would cancel. It drives him insane to repeat the phone call, and it must have shown on his face, because he gets a harsh elbow to his ribcage from Hyolyn.  
“Seyoon-ah. Smile. These are the people paying your livelihood.” she wheezes, loud enough for only them to hear. Seyoon nods an apology and plasters a big grin on his face when the next person comes up to him.

☆

“I thought we were done with the schedule for today?” Seyoon questions as they pull up in front of the company building. “It’s already 9pm.”  
“Schedules are never over, sweetheart. We have a few ideas we wanna discuss with you. Besides, you have nothing important to do at home. The painting can wait, I’m sure.”  
Seyoon wants to retort the disguised insult with a _‘I should get some sleep so I can manage all the upcoming schedules’_ , but opts for biting his tongue. In a way, Hyolyn is right. There is never an end to schedules. Especially before a big release as this one, his biggest yet.  
“Coffee?” Hyolyn offers as the whole team sits down around a table in one of the big conference rooms. Almost everybody says yes, because this will probably take at least an hour or two and it’s already late.  
Seyoon sits in the corner, next to Hyolyn. Most of this isn’t directed at him anyways, and he wonders why the hell he is here instead of at home in his soft bed. The voices of the crew mix together into one blurry mess and Seyoon nods off every two minutes, trying to stay alert.  
“And then, the last thing I wanted to bring up.” Hyolyn nudges Seyoon’s arm, causing him to jolt into a sitting position. “As you all may have seen, things are going great for Wonho. And we need to keep up. Just today it was leaked that he might have a relationship. The trends on Twitter blew up, his name was in the top searches for hours.” Hyolyn blabbers on. Seyoon does _not_ like where this is heading. “I know it’s risky, but it was so well received amongst his fans that I think we should give it a go. Now, I know Wow doesn’t have a partner in his life. But a little lie never really hurt. And it’s only for a short amount of time, just a few weeks before and after promotions. I’ve already started searching for someone who can step in as your partner.”  
Seyoon feels suffocated. What the hell? He has a girlfriend, thank you very much. Even though they are never seen in public, he is sure Sooyoung wouldn’t mind getting some limelight on her. Maybe it can even fix the tiny crack in their relationship that Seyoon has started noticing. Before he can speak up on the matter though, Hyolyn chimes in again.  
“There is no discussing this, as it’s already decided. I will get back to you regarding the different options later this week so you can choose the partner yourself, of course. But we are going through with this.” she says, sternly locking Seyoon’s gaze. He feels frozen. No, no. This can not be happening. “You are all dismissed. Go rest up and we will see you all here at 9am sharp. Good night.”  
The staff files out, and Seyoon stands up so fast the chair falls over.  
“Hyolyn-noona, what is this?”  
“Wow-ssi. Go home and sleep, I’ll have someone driving you to your apartment. Don’t overthink this. It doesn’t have to be complicated at all. I’ll tell you about the details of the deal tomorrow morning over a cup of coffee. Get some rest, you look exhausted, dear.” she pats his head with a cheeky grin, before ushering him outside to the black car waiting to take him home.  
How will he explain this to Sooyoung?

☆

“Sit down, the coffee will be here soon.” Hyolyn pats the leather couch in her office, sitting down on the farthest end. “I have some papers here that we will go through.”  
Seyoon stumbles towards the couch, feet heavy. It still feels like he is caught in a very nasty nightmare.  
“First of all, we need to discuss how we wanna do this. You don’t have to be super close. Just close enough so that it will pass for a relationship rather than a friendship.” she says, big eyes glued on Seyoon. “And you only have to go out to make public appearances about twice a week. That isn’t much, Seyoon-ah. And it will really help to put your name on people’s lips. Which is what we need for this release to give back the money we have already spent on it and the money that we will spend on it.”  
She is talking to him as if he is a child, and it makes something uneasy settle in Seyoon’s chest. He isn’t a child, and he is perfectly capable of understanding what she is saying without her having to spell everything out. He is too tired to argue though, brain running on an hour of sleep from last night. So he just nods. Someone knocks on the door, and a cup of americano is placed in front of him. He grabs the warm drink greedily, sipping on it like it was the elixir of life.  
“Great. We are still looking for candidates. It would be best with another celebrity, because then we can definitely know that the secret will be kept. But personally, I’d like for us to go the route Wonho did, picking someone who isn’t a celebrity.”  
Seyoon nods again, the steam from his americano fogging up his glasses. It smells heavenly, and right now he couldn’t care less about what his manager is saying.  
“Yeah, that sounds great.” he mutters, taking another sip.  
“Perfect. I promise to have a candidate ready for you before Friday rolls around.”  
Seyoon looks up at her for the first time that morning.  
“Ready? Didn’t you say I’d be allowed to at least pick the partner?”  
Hyolyn gives him an apologetic smile.  
“Yeah, I know I said that. But I think it’s better if I handle all of this so you can just focus on practise. You need it. I will do my best to get you a pretty face to look at to make the process easier for you.” she says, giggling softly. “Now, off you go. Your dance crew is waiting for you.”  
Seyoon stands up, a little more energized than before the coffee. He bows quickly to Hyolyn, and sets off to the practise rooms. It’s gonna be a long day.

☆

“I just don’t understand why this is happening to me?” Seyoon groans, staring angrily at his gimbap.  
“I’m not sure if that gimbap will give you an answer. Maybe if you stare hard enough, it will tell you some great advice.” Donghun jokes, munching away on his own roll. “Why does it bother you so much anyways? You know this whole idol thingy is just us pretending, lying is a part of getting through. Maybe she is like, _really_ cute and you get along well and this won’t even be hard? You’re setting yourself up for failure. It was way worse for me, you know when I had to adopt a dog that I was allergic to because it would make my image look amazing? I had even grown a bit fond of Tiki when I gave her up.”  
“It bothers me because I actually have a girlfriend already.” Seyoon mumbles, and Donghun chokes a bit.  
“Well, why didn’t you tell Hyolyn-noona that? I’m sure that she would have agreed immediately, since it would have been so much easier for everybody.”  
“I didn’t get the chance, she already looked like she had made a choice.”  
Donghun nods, and silence falls over the two. Seyoon finally quits the staring contest with his lunch, while Donghun lazily scrolls his phone. Suddenly, he perks up and turns the screen towards Seyoon.  
“Oh, man. Look at the hottie Wonho snagged. The first pictures were released today from Dispatch.” he says, and Seyoon sighs. He isn’t interested in the slightest in what kind of girlfriend his so called competitor has snatched. It’s so childish with all this publicity war going on between labels. However, he is frozen on the spot as soon as he sees the picture Donghun has on the screen. He would recognize Sooyoung anywhere. Donghun grins at his reaction, taking back his phone.  
“Told you, pretty hot. And I don’t even play for that team.”  
“That’s _my_ girlfriend.”

☆

The air feels thick, and Seyoon is nauseous. Sooyoung looks like she always does, black hair tied in a high ponytail, kitten wings and bright red lipstick. Just how she looked in the pictures earlier today with Wonho. Seyoon just stares at her across the table, willing her to speak first. It’s like she has no idea anything is wrong. Seyoon wants to cry. He can’t take it anymore.  
“When were you planning on telling me?” he asks, and finally she reacts, a flinch crossing her face. She hastily schools her face back into a polite smile, and meets his gaze.  
“Tell you what?”  
Seyoon stands up, slamming his fists on the table. His glass topples over and the red wine seeps into the fancy napkin. It looks like how his heart feels, bleeding.  
“I’m not dumb.” he groans, clutching the table cloth so har his knuckles turn white.  
“I never said you were.” she says quietly.  
“Then you know what I’m talking about.” Seyoon looks her dead in the eye. Before she can speak up, he cuts her off. “I saw the pictures.” he says, voice breaking on the last word. Sooyoung stays silent, her eyebrows pinched together and lips tightly sealed. Like she is afraid of saying the wrong thing, or have Seyoon getting the wrong idea.  
“It’s just business. Strictly professional. You know that. Right, dearest?” she finally decides on saying. Seyoon’s world is falling apart. He feels jealousy grip around his heart, and hates himself for turning into the person he has never wanted to be.  
“So that is why you didn’t tell me. Because it’s so professional. Right, dearest?” he snarls, backing away from the table.  
“I just wasn’t sure I could trust you to keep it secret.” she whispers. Seyoon glares at her in disbelief.  
“I thought I could trust _you_ . I’ve been in this business for years. I know fake relationships exist. I’ve seen them up close. I would have never outed you, and you know that. The reason you didn’t tell me is because it’s not just business. You were afraid of how I was going to react, if I knew.”  
Sooyoung doesn’t answer, making Seyoon’s worst nightmares come true. He wants to stop ranting, but he can’t.  
“So what is it that is so great about him, huh? Is it the fact that he is taller than me? Bigger than me, in every aspect? Nicer than me? He doesn’t paint? His hair is blonde? Does he fuck better? Gosh, I hardly know anymore since I can’t even remember the last time we slept together!” he laughs, it’s shrilly and hollow. The whole situation is so bizarre. How could he not have seen this coming? “Can you at least be honest with me one last time? When did all this start?”  
Sooyoung mumbles something under her breath that Seyoon can’t make out.  
“What?” he asks, and Sooyoung clears her throat.  
“Since a few weeks. We met at that gala, you know?”  
“And you never thought of telling him you were involved?”  
“It just never came up and I didn’t know if I could trust him to not rat you out in front of the press!” she tries defending herself. Seyoon scoffs.  
“Bullshit. And you never bothered to tell me either? You _actual_ boyfriend? Since like five years?”  
“Darling, I-”  
“Don’t pet name me. We’re over. You can call Wonho and have him pick you up or whatever, I wanna be alone.”  
Sooyoung gets up, leaving the dinner untouched, and scurries out the door. Only then does Seyoon feel comfortable enough to break down. He cries harder than he has ever cried in his entire life, body shaking as he lies on the living room floor, hugging his knees.

☆

“Seyoon-ah, you look well rested. Come in!” Hyolyn greets him with her signature smile, and Seyoon steps inside her office. He places her coffee on the table before sitting down on the couch.  
“Good morning, Hyolyn-noona.”  
“Is this for me? You shouldn’t have!” she coos, wrapping a manicured hand around the cup and sips on it. “So, I have our candidate ready to go. We just have to sign some extra papers. I was thinking we could do that over lunch? So you can practice a bit beforehand, shower and have some of the stylists fix you up. How does that sound?”  
Seyoon musters a smile, almost convincing himself he hasn’t been crying all night.  
“It sounds super. I’ll get to practice.”  
“I’m so happy you came around to the decision. It’s gonna be great for us!” she beams as Seyoon exits the office.

A few hours later, he has danced until he couldn’t feel his legs, showered and gotten dolled up with hair and makeup. Sitting in the van, just finished his third americano before lunch, he feels sleepy and cuddles up in the backseat with a mask covering half of his face and a beanie covering the second half.  
Hyolyn is chatting animatedly with the driver, allowing Seyoon some space to rest before meeting his future fake girlfriend.

The van comes to a halt and Hyolyn jumps out, opening the door to where Seyoon is situated, slowly waking up.  
“Good morning, sleepyhead! We are here.” his manager chirps, grabbing his arm and ushers him outside of the vehicle and inside the restaurant. She gives the waiter her name, and they are shown to a secluded booth for ultimate privacy.  
They order some drinks, and await the girlfriend. Seyoon is almost a bit excited. This feels like a new start. Maybe Donghun was right. Maybe she is like, _really_ cute and they get along and this will be a piece of cake. All of these thoughts are shattered when a stranger steps inside the booth. His hair is red, pushed under a baseball cap turned backside forward and in his ears sits several pieces of jewelry that catches the light in the dimly lit restaurant. His eyes are slanted and foxy, bright brown irises looking right at Seyoon from where he stands. His pink, plush lips are stretched into the most adorable smile, and there is something about him that strikes Seyoon as familiar.  
He is pretty. Insanely so. Horrifyingly so. He is the prettiest boy Seyoon has ever seen. And that is where the issue lies. He is that. A boy. Just like Seyoon.  
Hyolyn greets the boy with a big grin, urging him to sit down next to Seyoon, who scoots away as far as the wall allows him.  
“Wow-ssi, this is BK. Your boyfriend!”

☆


	2. Testing the waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BK and Seyoon go on their first date, and there is something lingering in the air that Seyoon can't put his finger on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well sooo HIIIIII  
> i know this chapter is LONG overdue heheheheh but i was soooo incredibly busy with school i had no free time to write. animating 3d charachters really takes up so insanely much time  
> but, here is the second chapter and i really hope u enjoy this.  
> xx

☆

“Hi, Wow-ssi. Nice to meet you. I’m BK.” the other boy stretches his arm out to shake Seyoon’s hand, and it takes Seyoon a few seconds too long to react and give him a firm shake. BK bows his head, Seyoon follows suit.  
“Noona, can I talk to you for a minute?” Seyoon wheezes and Hyolyn looks at him with a quirked eyebrow.  
“I guess so. BK-ssi, why don’t you sit down and order something to drink? It’s on me. Pick your favorite. We’ll be right back.”  
BK bows again, and Seyoon slides out with little to no grace from the booth before BK sits down at the empty spot next to where Seyoon’s seat is.  
“Thank you, Hyolyn-ssi.” the boy says with a soft smile.  
“Please, call me noona!” Hyolyn giggles over her shoulder as Seyoon drags her off towards the bathrooms. When they are alone, Seyoon almost kabedons her against the tiled wall.  
“Isn’t he cute?” she beams at Seyoon, looking so proud of herself.  
“It’s a _man_ !” Seyoon whispers hoarsely. “This could ruin my career!”  
“Oh, calm down now. It won’t be that bad. You’ll be a role model for tons of young boys who are closeted.”  
It’s a great trait she has, not being scared of what others think. It’s bold to make such a statement in Korea. And Seyoon admires her for the courage, that she is willing to stand behind him if this fails. There is only one problem.  
“I’m not gay.” Seyoon states. “I like girls.”  
“Darling. This isn’t a real relationship. You’re not dating another man. You’re _pretending_ to.” she gives him an unimpressed glance. “This is happening. You better behave.”  
And then she slinks under his arms, back to BK. Seyoon leans his forehead against the cold tiles, gathering his thoughts. He has to do this. Maybe if he thinks of it as a close friendship? He breathes in. He can do this. Breathes out. He can do this. And then he goes back to their table.

☆

Seyoon stares at the high ceiling of his apartment, listening to the way his lonely breaths fills the empty space. He finds himself thinking about calling Sooyoung several times, despite hating what she did to him, just because he is so incredibly alone. He has never really thought about how lonesome it is being an idol until now. He has always had Sooyoung, and then Donghun at the label. But he realizes now that he has nobody else, and with Sooyoung out of the picture it’s dawning on him how badly he hates being alone with his thoughts. There is nobody here to stop his brain from racing towards the self conscious mindset he is trapped inside, comparing himself over and over to Wonho. Why did Sooyoung pick him over Seyoon? Is Seyoon really that replaceable? Did he ever mean as much to Sooyoung as she did to him? He is on the brink of insanity when his phone vibrates, throwing him out of the spiral he is stuck inside.  
“Yes, hello?” he says loudly, surprising himself with the unexpected volume of his own voice.  
“You don’t have to yell.” comes a voice, giggling slightly. Seyoon searches his mind to connect the voice to a person, and finally. It’s BK.  
“Why are you calling me?” Seyoon asks, and BK laughs breathily, like he is out of air.  
“I’m your _boyfriend_ .” BK teases, drawling on the word like he is tasting it on his tongue. “Shouldn’t I be allowed to call my man even if it’s-” he trails off. “- three in the morning?”  
Seyoon bites back a smile. Is he really that lonely? Yes. Apparently.  
“What are you even doing awake?” Seyoon scolds him, trying to act unaffected.  
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” BK sings, and Seyoon can hear the muffled rustle of a pillow as the other man lays his head down.  
“Stop. What are you getting at?” Seyoon mutters, turning hostile. He doesn’t want a boyfriend, and in actuality, they are not dating. Why is BK calling him in the middle of the night, like one would with a real partner?  
“I’m just trying to make this easier for us, make it believable. Gotta fool them all, you know?”  
Seyoon snorts.  
“I don’t want your late night calls or fake drooling. Good night.”  
“As you wish. Sleep tight, Sir. ” BK’s tone is seductive and Seyoon can hear his lips smack in something that sounds like a kiss. _Click_. Seyoon promptly ignores the way his insides churn at being called that last word. Ugh.

☆

It feels too early to go on a date, and still it would be perfectly normal, had they actually been dating. They were introduced four days ago, and haven’t seen each other since, if you don’t count the late night calls BK has been making every damn night, driving Seyoon insane. Hyolyn has been on Seyoon’s ass for the past two days to just get on with it. So yesterday, he plucked up the courage and called, asking if BK wanted to grab a drink, just to get it over with.

_“Hi, Sir.” BK’s soft voice has something sharp in it whenever he uses that word with Seyoon. Seyoon has told him to stop multiple times, but he doesn’t listen.  
_ _“Hello, BK-ssi.”  
_ _“Wow, so formal and polite. I’ve made quite a catch, huh?”  
_ _“_ Stop _. I was wondering if you wanted to- uh- maybe, I don’t know, grab some coffee or bubble tea or something like that and like- eh- hang out?”  
_ _The gasp that leaves BK’s lips sounds genuinely excited and surprised, and it makes Seyoon wonder how good BK is at performing.  
_ _“Really?” he nearly squeals, and Seyoon allows himself the tiniest of smiles just because he is alone and nobody will have to know.  
_ _“Yeah, I mean- if you want to?” he says quietly, turning nervous. Has he overstepped a line?  
_ _“I’d_ love _to, baby.” BK purrs, voice dripping with what sounds like actual affection. Seyoon shrugs it off. He is probably reading too much into it, being starved of love for way too long.  
_ _“Great. I’ll have a car pick you up at 11.30am tomorrow?”  
_ _“Can’t wait. See you then.”_

So now, Seyoon stands outside the small café downtown, fiddling with his sleeves. 11.18am. He wanted to be early to prepare, but maybe this is too early. Now he has plenty of time to overthink. He picked a specific small, fairly unknown coffee shop for the sake of privacy. He wants their first date to actually feel somehow relaxed. He knows he will clam up if they are announcing this to the press right away and nobody will buy it. It irks him how good BK is already with the whole flirting and faking. It makes it even harder for him to go with the flow, since he has to catch up to where BK already is. And when he catches up, BK is even further with no signs of waiting for Seyoon. It also makes him slightly uncomfortable with not knowing his so called boyfriend’s name. BK is just an acronym, personal but just anonymous enough to keep him wondering if there is something the other man is hiding. Once again, Seyoon thinks about how BK struck him as familiar when they met for the first time at that lunch meeting. It feels like he has seen him somewhere before, but he can’t figure out where.  
“Hi there, gorgeous. Waiting for someone?” BK snickers quietly, snaking his arm around Seyoon’s middle in an intimate hug. Surprised by BK’s arrival in the middle of his thoughts, plus the fact that he is being held on a level that feels way too close for someone he doesn’t know, Seyoon jumps with a shriek, away from the boy. The shorter man just laughs, hands flying up to hide his mouth as he does.  
“Did I scare you?”  
“Yes.” Seyoon answers truthfully. “I was caught in my mind. Hello.”  
“I could see that. Let’s go inside and order. I want something we can take with us, I’d love to stroll around, if you don’t mind?”  
Seyoon does mind, it increases the risk of being seen, making it very high. And yet, he just shakes his head, earning him a beaming grin from BK, although hidden behind his hand again.

“Tell me more about you, I know nothing. When did you debut?” BK asks, sipping on his drink. Seyoon can’t help but notice him lingering with his lips around the straw, like he is deliberately trying to ruin Seyoon’s brain.  
“Uh, yeah sure. I debuted five years ago, right after I got out of school.” Seyoon begins, but BK cuts him off.  
“Wait, you’re that young?”  
“Well, now I’m twenty four. Turned earlier this year. How old are you?”  
BK hesitates, eyes darting away from where they held Seyoon’s gaze steady mere seconds ago. Seyoon’s gut twists, it really makes him uneasy, sensing something important is being kept from him. It feels like hours before BK finally answers.  
“I am twenty now. I’ll be twenty one in August.” he says, quickly under his breath. “Anyways, tell me more about yourself. I really wanna get to know you!”  
It’s Seyoon’s time to hesitate. It feels weird, BK being so interested in Seyoon’s life but barely disclosing any information about himself. But then again, what if he really is reading too much into it. Maybe BK is just super shy and careful. Seyoon is a celebrity after all, and that might be something that freaks people out. He decides to drop it.  
“So, yeah. It was hell the first three years, and I wanted to quit so many times. Not enough money, not enough social media buzz, you know all that shit. But then with the comeback I did about a year and a half ago, something finally happened.”  
“What was it that didn’t work at first, you think? And what might have changed?” BK asks, eyeing Seyoon curiously. Seyoon averts his gaze, uncomfortable with the intensity.  
“I actually have no idea. Such things are hard to understand. It’s about luck, I guess.” he answers half heartedly, not really knowing what to say because he is clueless when it comes to marketing. That’s why he has the label. Seyoon does the singing, rapping and dancing. The rest is a bit out of his hands.  
“Oh, okay.” BK sounds disappointed, and Seyoon has that weird feeling again. He suddenly feels the need to be alone.  
“Hey, I don’t feel so good. Maybe we should call it a day, huh?” he murmurs, throwing his half empty cup into a trash bin.  
“Wait, did I do something wrong?” BK says, grabbing Seyoon’s wrist, tugging him a bit closer. His hands are warm, they feel nice on Seyoon’s neglected skin. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I have a habit of asking way too many personal questions. It’s not really- I just don’t know how to approach you.”  
Seyoon curses his traitorous body for making him blush. If BK notices, he doesn’t comment on it.  
“But if you really feel unwell, let me follow you home to make sure you’re safe?”  
Seyoon can’t find it in him to deny the other boy.

“Wow, you live in such a fancy complex!” BK exclaims when the car stops outside of the entrance to the big building where Seyoon lives. “I really thought all idols lived in dorms, I mean that’s what-” he cuts himself off, and Seyoon looks at him. “Nothing. Forget that.”  
“Um, okay.” Seyoon shakes his head as he opens the door.  
“I mean that’s what all idols I’ve heard about do!” BK says, jumping out on the other side of the car and skitters around to Seyoon’s side. He gives Seyoon a crooked smile, fidgeting with his fingers. “Sorry, I get nervous around you.”  
“Why? I’m just- just a regular person.”  
“No, you’re not. You’re a famous idol. I don’t know how to act around you.” he mutters, eyes glued on the pavement. Seyoon chuckles.  
“Think of me as any human being. Please, I have no star quality whatsoever. When I wake up in the morning my hair looks like I’ve slept through a hurricane. Don’t forget I also go to the bathroom, just like you.”  
BK squeals out a hysterical laughter, hands immediately coming up to hide his face.  
“Oh my god, _hyung_ . Stop, you’re making me even more nervous!” he smiles, and Seyoon feels the warmth spreading inside of him at being called hyung. He hasn’t been called that in forever, not with only having Sooyoung around who is a female, and Donghun who is older than him. Then BK abruptly stops giggling. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so familiar with you. It won’t happen again.”  
“No, it’s honestly fine. I mean, we are supposed to be dating. So please, call me hyung. Do you wanna follow me to the door?”  
BK nods excitedly, following Seyoon as he holds up the key card to the reader that opens the door after a beep, letting them inside the building. He presses the elevator button, peeking at BK every other second because he can’t help himself. His eyes are big as saucers, taking in the fancy lobby and paintings of the ground floor.  
“These paintings are beautiful. Do you know who the artist is?” BK whispers in awe, stepping closer to Seyoon to make sure he is heard. Seyoon snickers, the drawings are his. But he isn’t quite ready to share that.  
“Yeah, I know him.”  
“Please tell him I want one of my own next time you talk to him, please hyung?”  
Seyoon’s heart melts, he has never had someone so openly admire his art, and it really prods at the soft spot already forming inside his soul for this young boy.  
“I promise.”  
“Thank you.” BK says earnestly, gaze serious.  
They enter the elevator, Seyoon pressing the top floor and BK stares.  
“You have the _penthouse_ ?” he asks, and it makes Seyoon giggle again.  
“I do. I make enough to afford living nicely.” he mumbles, fumbling with his sleeves.  
“I’m sorry, I really must sound like a dumb kid, being so easily impressed.”  
Seyoon shakes his head quickly.  
“No, it still baffles me sometimes too. Some days I can’t believe I get to live like this.”  
BK hums beside him. The bell dings, and right before the doors open, there is a voice saying ‘ _Welcome, Wow_ ’, and it sends BK into a fit of laughter.  
“What in the world was that?” he shrieks behind his hands.  
“Ah, a dumb thing Hyolyn-noona gifted me with once on my first brithday living here. I’m the only one living up here and she has some contacts so that happened.”  
“That’s amazing. I love her.” the boy continues to laugh, always covering the lower half of his face. Seyoon can’t stop the question before it’s out.  
“Why do you do that?”  
“Do what?” BK looks confused, like he isn’t even aware of the habit.  
“This.” Seyoon gently grabs the boy’s hands, pulling them from his face. “Hide your mouth when you laugh.”  
“Oh, that- eh- whatever. It’s _stupid_ . Bad habit, I guess.” BK answers shortly, clearly not wanting to talk about it. “So, I better go. It was lovely hanging out with you today.”  
The stand outside of Seyoon’s front door, looking at each other through the thick silence that dawns in the hallway.  
“Can I give you a kiss on your cheek? Just to, like, ease us into being closer?” BK breaks the silence, and Seyoon nods slowly. He leans closer, trying to not shake. Why is he so nervous? He can feel BK’s lips ghost his cheek, he can smell the subtle hint of his shampoo that he didn’t notice before. It’s comforting in a way that Seyoon can’t describe. It’s over too fast, BK’s plush lips barely even grazing Seyoon’s heated skin before they leave again, quickly like he was being burned.  
“Thank you. I’ll call you, hyung.” is the last thing BK says before he stumbles back to the elevator. He offers Seyoon one last little wave as he steps out of sight. When the elevator has left the floor, Seyoon shakily slumps down against the wall outside of his apartment. His mind is a mess. Can he do this?

☆

**Author's Note:**

> please leave me luvins :3  
> until next time  
> uwus only  
> xx


End file.
